In a world beset by economic stagnation, debt, political paralysis, global warming, Islamist terrorism and Vladimir Putin, it’s been hard to find anything in the news this year that offers even a dab of diversion. The news, with its agenda of global angst, has become a crashing boor.

That’s why we should all breathe a sigh of relief for the emergence of gay marriage as an issue that can crowd the terrors of the day off our front pages and television screens, if only for a few editions and a few hours.

How do we know gay marriage has reached critical mass as a news-worthy issue? Well, President Obama just told us so, for one. But I knew it had hit the big time as an issue well before that.

How? Because the New York Times told me so. Every day, almost. Even on Page One. Often on Page One. And television had noticed. One network reportedly is ginning up a new series about a homosexual couple dubbed "The New Normal." How’s that grab you?

I want to be clear here: I’ve got nothing against gay marriage. Indeed, with more and more straight couples shunning marriage, you could make a case that gays who want to tie the knot are just doing their bit to keep the institution relevant.

On the other hand, I’m not particularly for gay marriage either. It’s not that I’ve got anything against it ... check that. There is one thing that does rile me: its appropriation and misuse of a wonderful word.

Remember "Gay Paree" and the "Gay Nineties" and great old movies like "The Gay Divorcée"? Or expressions like "gay blade" and "gay Lothario" once used to describe alpha males? What do we call them now in this brave new gay world?

As I said, I’m not particularly for or against gay marriage. But I believe homosexual couples should have every civil, political and economic right accorded straight couples. I’m not sure marriage is required to guarantee them those rights, but if it is, then so be it.

What it comes down to for me is this: After a lifetime of committing journalism in pursuit of what we were led to believe were the big issues confronting city, state or country — and with the world and especially Washington currently going bonkers — I’m not sure the dust-up over gay marriage is really worth all this high-decibel coverage.

I understand why the gay community would want it. They’ve achieved a lot, even a degree of acceptance in a society that has been historically hostile and much of which still is, unfortunately.

But they want more; they want approval. (Don’t we all?) Only marriage, they apparently believe, accords a measure of true approval. We’ll see.

With Obama now out of the closet on the issue, debate has begun over whether it helps or hurts his re-election prospects. Republicans, noting that 31 states have voted to ban same-sex marriage, believe they hold a winning ticket. Although polls show a slight majority supporting gay marriage, GOP strategists believe that’s partly driven by young people who historically are less likely to vote in November than oldsters, most of whom oppose gay marriage.

Democrats see the president’s endorsement as just what’s needed to pump up enthusiasm among liberals who question Obama’s commitment to the cause. Liberals may not like that he believes gay marriage should be settled at the state not the federal level, but they still feel it reinforces his image as willing to take tough stands, unlike Mitt Romney, a serial vacillator.

Thanks to the Washington Post, Democrats have been handed a stick to beat Romney with on the issue — the revelation that as a teenager Romney led prep school pals in roughing up a boy who was gay.

Nasty stuff, all right. But let’s not make too much of it. What teenage boy hasn’t done something colossally stupid? Romney’s got real baggage as a candidate, but that’s not it.

So, will gay marriage play a role in the election outcome? The guess here is only at the margins, if at all. Not all Democrats support it, but not all Republicans oppose it, either. It’s very likely to be an Election Day wash.

The real issue is still likely to be that fiercely fought-over four-letter subject: JOBS!